Description
A refreshing, vibrant summer drink made with fresh strawberries, lemons, and mint. This simple recipe takes only 5-7 minutes to prepare and offers customizable sweetness without artificial ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled (about 300g)
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4–6 large lemons)
- 1 large bunch fresh mint leaves (about 1 cup packed, approx. 15–20 leaves)
- 4 cups cold water
- Ice, for serving
- Optional garnish: mint sprigs, lemon wheels, halved strawberries
Instructions
- Wash strawberries and remove green tops (hull them). If large, chop in half. Wash mint leaves, pat dry, and remove leaves from stems.
- Place strawberries, mint leaves, and sugar into a large bowl or pitcher.
- Muddle the mixture using a muddler or the back of a spoon to crush strawberries into a pulp and bruise the mint. Let sit for 5 minutes to create a natural syrup.
- Squeeze lemons to yield 1 cup of juice, straining out seeds.
- Pour the lemon juice and the strawberry-mint mixture into the pitcher. Add 4 cups of cold water and stir well.
- Taste and adjust sweetness or tartness by adding more sugar, lemon juice, or water as needed.
- Stir in ice to chill quickly or refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Serve over fresh ice in tall glasses, garnished with mint and lemon.
Notes
For best flavor, use fresh ingredients. If using frozen strawberries, thaw and drain excess liquid. To avoid bitter mint, bruise leaves gently rather than shredding them. For a smoother texture, make a simple syrup with the sugar and water first. Strawberry ice cubes can be used to chill the drink without dilution.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Beverages
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 80
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 5
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 1
Keywords: strawberry lemonade, homemade lemonade, summer drinks, mint lemonade, refreshing beverages, gluten-free, vegan, easy recipes